Potentiality in the Emerging Wisdom Culture

October 5, 2009

Hosted by John D. Schmidt

Guest Information

Episode Description

Paul H. Ray, PhD, co-author of the ground-breaking book The Cultural Creatives and Director of the Institute for the Emerging Wisdom Culture at Wisdom University, joins ZOOM’D to explore the rich ground of potential emerging in our culture today along with possibilities for developing new, tangible images of the future. Paul shares research updates about traditional, modern, and cultural creative segments of society and links them directly to “needs of our time.” Paul continues the ZOOM’D emphasis on visions of a positive future and orients the conversation to a new narrative and guiding story of planetary emergence—one that reflects the “now” in a 50-year time horizon. In contrasting needs present today with images of the future, the show explores upcoming challenges, creative leadership, and the collective shift of consciousness in motion.

ZOOM’D Leadership

Archives Available on VoiceAmerica Business Channel

ZOOM’D takes you out to big picture issues of the day, in to up-close-and-personal capacities of leadership, and toward a desirable future of constant renewal.

Whether focused on the economic crisis, energy, climate change, or sustainability at large, ZOOM’D looks at what is really going on. We’ll examine patterns at play, drivers behind them, perspectives of leadership, and the importance of changing the way we pursue the future.

ZOOM’D uniquely interweaves emphasis on the objective and subjective—on tangible shifts needed in systems, institutions, governance, and behaviors; and on intangible values, cultures, and leader mindsets needed to see, shape, and orchestrate the shifts.

ZOOM’D bridges the conceptual to the practical for all in business, government, and civil society to benefit from and to activate leadership around.

John D. Schmidt

John D. Schmidt is the founder and CEO of Avastone Consulting, an international consultancy committed to the vitality and sustainability of client organizations and the larger global community. He serves as advisor to global corporations and nongovernmental enterprises, and is a thinker, designer, and practitioner in integral approaches to complex challenges and human development.

John’s expertise offers a rich foundation for ZOOM’D. He is a seasoned consultant with 30 years experience in getting to the heart of matters, discerning what is really going on, and framing appropriate actions. He focuses on deep understanding—listening for surface realities—and deeper truth. He makes sense of complexity, integrating the long view with the here-and-now.

John values the interiority of life and how the developmental nature of mindsets shapes the world we live in—across economic, social, and environmental arenas. He is dedicated to his own growth and contemplative practice, spending 25 days per year in retreat. He is creatively gifted in developing other leaders through deep immersion experiences.

John serves as guest faculty and contributor to learning institutes, universities, and community service organizations. He is a board member of the SHIFT Foundation (which develops young global leaders) and Kosmos Journal (a voice of global awakening). He passionately pursues active enjoyments of life—he is a road cyclist, skier, fly fisher—and lover of the ocean.